Fluid flow measuring device



April 28, l1953 E. D. sMYsER 2,636,478

FLUID FLOW MEASURING DEVICE Filed June 21, 1948 2 SHEETS-SHEET lINVENTOR ELMER D. SMYSER BYM ATTORNEY 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 E. D. SMYSERFLUID FLOW MEASURING DEVICE April 28, 1953 Filed June 21, 1948 INVENTORELMER D. SMYSER ATTORNEY BY 'I Patented Apr. 28, 1953 FLUID FLOWMEASURING- DEVICE Elmer D. Smyser, Bakersfield, Calif., assigner ofyone-half to F. C. Ripley, Sr., Los Angeles, Calif.

Application J une 21, 1948, Serial No. 34,287

12 Claims. 1

This invention relates generally to fluid metering devices, and relatesmore particularly to ilow meters for indicating the volume of ow througha conduit or pipe.

In many oil elds, a plurality of oil wells are connected together so asto discharge into a common tank or into a conduit common to all of theWells. The total production of all of the wells, so connected together,can be adequately measured in the tank, but it is desirable to have ametering device for indicating the production of each well.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a ow meterwhich will indicate with reasonable accuracy the volume of ow of a well.

It is another object of the invention to provide a flow meter of therotary type wherein the rotor carries a plurality of ilexible sealingblades.

Still another object of the invention is to pro- `vide a device of thischaracter wherein at all times there is a plurality of such sealingblades in effective sealing relationship with the wall of the stator inthe line of ow between the inlet and outlet.

Still another object of the invention is to provvide a device of thischaracter wherein the blades ofthe hub or shaft, between the inlet andoutlet.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a device of thischaracter that is self-cleaning, and wherein friction is reduced to aminimum Further objects of the invention are to provide a device that issimple in construction, that is light in weight and that is effective inoperation.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear from thefollowing part of the specincation.

Referring to the drawings which are for illustrativepurposes only:

Fig. 1 is a side view of a device embodying the present invention, saidview being taken on *line I-I ofFigLZ;

Thus, a safety factor is provided 1 into the cylindrical chamber I2 2Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken on of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view of the device, V.taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 1;v Fig. 4 is an enlarged partial sectional view taken on line 4-4 of Fig.3;

Fig. 5 is a partial section ofFig. 1; and Y ,i Fig. 6 is a partialsection taken on line 6 6 of Fig. 4. Referring more particularly to thedrawings, the device comprises a body, indicated generally at IB, havinga cylindrical part, indicated generally at II, which may be termed thestator. Within the stator is a cylindrical chamber I2 deiined by acylindrical wall I3. The body I0 also includes an inlet I4 having aninletpassage I5 which may be internally threaded for connection with apipe line through which the iuid, such as oil, ilows. There is also anoutlet i6 having an outlet passage II which also may be internallythreaded for connection with' the pipe line. The inlet and outlet arearranged in axial alignment and are generally tangential to the stator.

Within. the chamber I 2 is an arcuate shaped une 2 ,2

member 2U having its outer radius the same as the radius of the chamberI2. The member 20 is secured within the chamber I2 by any suitablemeans. such as screws 2|', received in openings 22, provided therefor inthe body I il.v It is to be noted that the openings 22 are enlarged at23 for reception of the heads of the screws 2I, so that said heads willnot project beyond the outer surface of the body I6.

The curvature of the inner side 24 of the member 2U is on a shorterradius than the radius of the cylindrical chamber I2, and there is aplurality of arcuately spaced ridges or ribs25 which project radiallyinwardly of the surface 24. The ribs 25 extend the entire width of themember 2e and the free ends of said ribs terminate in a plane having aradius of less length than 'the radius of the surface 24. Thus, apluralityof arcuately spaced pockets 26 are provided on the inner sideof the member 20, said ribs 25V and pockets 26 being for a purpose to`be hereinafter described. I

The member 2D has a passage 2'! therein, which communicates with theinlet passage "l5 and has a discharge end 28 for discharging oilgenerally tangentially thereto. The outlet passage I'I has `an inlet 29communicating with thel cylindrical chamber I2 in substantial alignmentwithy the inlet passage I5.

xthel sheets-63 and S. n t blades are disposed in the space betvveen'thef blades 5B 'and and are longer than the'ra'dius A shaft 35 is providedin axial relationship with the cylindrical chamber l2. The portion ofthe shaft extending within the chamber I2 is polygonal, and as shown issquare in cross section, as indicated at 36. One end 37 of the shaft isround in cross section, and is mounted in a bearing 38 disposed a.recess provided thereforA -iiaiv co'ver plate 39"' attached' tot I thestator by any suitable" means such asi-screws 6; It is to be noted thatthe bearing 3B may be of any suitable material but is shown as being ofa rubber composition of any well knowngcharacter. The opposite end 4| ofthe shaft 354 is also round and is connected-to a'` counting'or rel'-`cording mechanism indicated: atl 42. This coun-ting mechanism may be ofany suitablxegtype- `ci service to count the number of revolutions ofthe shaft, thus indicating the volume of'oilf-that has flowed throughtheA device. The end di f thei'shaft hasv a` suitable seald disposedthereabout and received in a recess provided therefor in acover`l'olate'e'rtwhich 'is' also secured tothe stator by means of screws4'5. The counting 4or recordingy vdevice d2'. is' securedl to thercoverplate 44 by means of screws 46.

"Means' for effecting rotation oi-theshait'ii is provided and comprisesa rotor, indicated gener- 'ally at' 50; The' rotor' comprises a shorthub' 5l having a bore therein which is square inl cross section,l vforreceptionz of the portion' 35 ofthe shaft, so that rotationfof the rotorwill effect rotation of saidshaft.

The hub carries a sealing` blade supporting structure. There are aplurality of main blades, indicated;v generally at 52,'iour suchbl-adesbeing shown, The support means for each blade coin- -prises apa-ir ofpla-tesd and respectively. rEhe plate 54' extends generally Yradiallyfrom the shaft @Stand-,is provided with a cut-'away portion or 'notch 5Sfor reception of the hub 5l, saidl plate vbeing-secured to the hub ofany'suitable means such as welding vor-the like. The plate 5d is oflesslength thangthe radius oi thecylindrical chamber l2I and has an endportion 5l which is `turned rearwardly with respectto the direction -ofrotation-ofthe rotor l' whicl'f1,as shown Figs. I? and-4, iscounterf-cloclrwise. A The plate Edinc ludesl a portion 5S which issubstantially parallel tothe plate 5G and in rearwardly spaced relationYthereto-v vith respect to the direction of rotation 'of the rotor. Theplate 55` alsoincludes `a cut- -awaygportion orgnotchy 59, for receptionof the hub 5I, said plateV also beingl welded to said hub. The plate 58includes a rearwardlyfturned portion 6B4 having a plurality Aoi--holes6l therein,- thepurposent which will be hereinafter'described. Therearward edge of the portion GB is welded tothe adjacent endf-of a plateG2 which extends-in a 4generally radial direction fromthef shaftfand'is4notched to receive 'saidvhub said plate 62 Ibeing -a'flso'Y welded tothe hub.

Each of the Ina-in blades 'may comprise a? sinele sheetof` resilientflexible material,v such as rubberor any suitable rubber composition,but `rasshown each ofA said main blades comprises-a "plurality 'orsaidsheets indic'atedfat'ty andA @il respectively. It has been foundthat superior resultsfhave` been obtained by having a plurality of-blade sheets ormernbers. Infsomeinstallations it' has also vbeen founddesirable'vto-provide a thin 'sheet of iiexibleresilientrnetalf, betweenThe sheets comprisingthe of the chamber l2, so that the end portions ofthe which are# spaced longitudinally apart 'with respect to thdcharnberI2';'aridlirry are received spacers E? of a length substantially thesame as the width of the space between the plates 54 and 55. The plates55 are provided with openings Ather-ein, register with the openings inthe -blades for reception of screws 68 which are threadably-` receivedin tapped openings provided therefor in the plates 5d. The screws B8 and"spaers Gretain the blades in position.

L Auxiliary blades 68 are also provided, and as shown comprise a pairfpfblade members 'Hl and 'i t with asheet o f metal i2 disposedtherebetween. These blade members and'thesheetof'rnetal i2 may `be oithe same respective materials as `the comparable parts of the mainblades. Thau'xil- -iary blades are mounted betweenl thplattad a plat-e"I3 in parallel s'g'naced vrelation thereto. "The piste is is alsonotched afidseeres totiinot 5l. The auxiliaryblades are"oflesslng'ftlintlflefiacli'is4 of vthe Y(3hLiloi" 12 a Cl `d positionbyineansofvspacrls "i4 aiids'cie T5, there normallybeing a'spa'c l5 between tliE2 and the adjacentiifc'of'the' lad' rber 10 to provide for expansion orswelligp'fthe blades; 'It is t be htd that blade "S'haS a thin 'free'end portion Ti whicheiteiids radially of me chamber i2 'anais sentie. A,

It isl to be noted that the portions "f l th"`iiiir ends of the plates54 and 55`a'fid the' bldesw'lo tween the respective 'ends 'of' the" hub`aiid`fad jacent cover plates, engage the r'espectiv'iiat stir'- facesof the square portion 36 of the sliaftf'i Similar mpol'tolls' of the'Mliiliywbls 5g lSO engage the shaft portion dadjaciit' the'cdiiierledgesV thereof, r"and similar' portions' O'fth 'plates E2 and '53engage the djcntsidesof'th -plates 55 and 5d' respectively. Heiicefth'rel'will' beiio bypassing of fluid about the shaft. Itis also"`t`o benoted vthat the plates' of "the rtoi" lia'v'their respectiveeds spacedsomewhat from th'oo'v'er plates' sa se, but that meende of' tne'fbladest -stantially the entire face thereof-and urgesjsaid seal-against itssupporting plate As the'rotor is rotatedby the oil ovving into thefchamber l2, downwardly and then upwardly yto theoutlet, saidrotor turnsin a ccunterfcloclswise direction, as seen in Fig. 1. The rotor rotatesin said coim- -ter-clocl wise directionA due tothe facts thatv1 the`member -20 forms a restriction on one side of the shaft soVV thatythere is a 'differentialofpressure oil'entering thegchamber' I2'fbywayof Athe passage 21 and end 28 thereof, follows the--pathof Aleastresistance. `As each-seal 52 passes the'outof the plate 55, as bestshown in Fig. 1, and as the rotor rotates further in the clockwisedirection, the ribs 25 will cause the free end of said seal 52 to engagethe outer surface of said portion 60, although it is to be understoodthat such free end of the seal does not necessarily have to engage saidouter surface of said portion 60. It will be noted that when the seal isthus folded against the portion 50, it generally follows the curvatureof the plate 55, said curvature being such as to prevent a sharp foldingof the seal 52. Further, due to the relatively small areas of the ribs25 engaging the seals or blades 52, friction therebetween is relativelysmall.

It is well known that wells producing oil having a considerable amountof parafne therein do not have gravel in said oil, while wells in whichthe oil produced carries a considerable amount of gravel, has littleparalne.

When the present device is interposed in the pipe line of a wellproducing oil having a considerable amount of parane therein, suchparailine tends to collect on the parts of the device, and such paranecollecting on the leading face of the seals 52, and particularly thefree end portions thereof, is scraped off by the ribs 25 as said sealsor blades lmove through the arc which is substantially coincidental withthat of the member 20. The parafne thus scraped olf the blades or seals52 tends to collect in the pockets 26 between the ribs. The p-araftlnewhich collects on the opposite face of the free end portions of theseals tends to work through the openings 6| into the chambers 80 definedby the plates 55 and 62. This paranine is removed from the chambers 80when the device is given its periodic cleaning. The accumulatedparafiine in the chambers til is removed from the ends of said chambers.

It is to be noted that the auxiliary blades 59 are of such length as tojust contact the free ends of the ribs 25, and the end portions of saidblades 69 are re-enforced against backward flexing by the end portions'H of the plates 73. As the blades B9 pass through the arc which issubstantially coincidental with the member 20, the ends of said bladeswill tend to remove any paraffine which may build up beyond the heighthof the ribs.

Should there be an accumulation of gravel in the pockets 26, the blade69 will tend to dislodge same, and should there be any pieces of gravelwhich extend beyond the ends of the ribs 25 and offer resistance to themovement of the rotor, the end portions of the blade 69 and the thin endportions 'il of the plates 'i3 will flex rearwardly to pass over suchpieces of gravel.

The blades 52 may be designed for a predetermined pressure. For example,the curvature of the free ends of said blades 52 may be such as to holda predetermined pressure of say forty pounds. Should the pressure of thewell rise above said predetermined pressure, the free ends of the bladesmay be forced forwardly to permit the oil to blow by said blades. Ifgreater pressure resistance is required, the thickness of the blades maybe increased and/or the metallic sheet 65 inserted between the bladeportions 53 and 64.

It is also to be noted that due to the flexibility of the blades 52,sand may readily pass through the device.

I claim:

1. A flow meter, comprising: a body having a generally cylindricalchamber with an inlet, and an outlet spaced annularly therefrom; a shaftaxially arranged in said cylindrical chamber, said shaft having meansfor operating a device for recording the rotation thereof a rotormounted on said shaft, said rotor comprising a plurality of radially.extending annularly spaced exible blades having a greater length thanthe radius of the chamber and having their outer ends engaging thecylindrical wall of said chamber; supporting structure for each of saidblades, said supporting structure for each blade comprising a plateextending substantially radially of the shaft and disposed on theleading side of said blade, said plate being of less length than theradius of said chamber; a second plate having a part substantiallyparallel to the plate and spaced rearwardly thereof relative to thedirection of rotation of the rotor a-greater amount than the thicknessof the blade; spacer members received in openings provided therefor inthe portion of the blade disposed between the plates, said spacermembers extending substantially from one plate to the other; means forsecuring said spacer members in position and an -arcuate member disposedIin the chamber between the inlet and outlet on one side of the shaft toprovide a restriction for causing fluid flow from the inlet to theoutlet on the other side of the shaft.

2. A ow meter, comprising: a body having a generally cylindrical chamberwith. an inlet, and an outlet spaced annularly therefrom; a shaftaxially arranged in said cylindrical chamber, said shaft having meansfor operating a device for recording the rotation thereof; a rotormounted on said shaft, said rotor comprising a plurality of radiallyextending annularly spaced flexible blades having a greater length thanthe radius of the chamber and having their outer ends engaging thecylindrical wall of said chamber; supporting structure for each of saidblades, said supporting structure for each blade comprising a plateextending substantially radially of the shaft and disposed on theleading side of said blade, said plate being of less length than theradius of said chamber; a second plate having a partsubstantiallyparallel -to the plate and spaced rearwardly thereofrelative to the direc-` tion of rotation of the rotor a greater amountthan the thickness of the blade, said second plate having an outer endportion curved oppositely of the direction of rotation of the rotor inspaced relationship to the cylindrical wall of the chamber and on whichthe outer end portion of the blade is supported when said blade is bentbackward during rotation of the rotor; spacer members received inopenings provided therefor in the portion of the blade disposed betweenthe plates, said spacer members extending substantially from one plateto the other; means for securing said spacer members in position, and anarcuate member disposed in the chamber between the inlet and outlet onlone side of the shaft to provide a restriction for causing fluid nowfrom the inlet to the outlet on the other Side of the shaft.

3. A flow meter, comprising: a body having a generally cylindricalchamber with an inlet, and an outlet spaced annularly therefrom; a shaftaxially arranged in said cylindrical chamber, said shaft having meansfor operating a device for recording the rotation thereof; a rotormounted on said shaft, said rotor comprising a plurality of radiallyextending annularly spaced flexible blades having a greater length .thanthe radius Aof the chamber and having .their outer ends engaging thecylindrical wall of said chamber; supporting structure for each of vsaidblades, said supporting structure for eachblade comprising `a directionof rotation of the'rotor, the free outer ends of said blades beingengageable with the cylindrical wall of the chamber; a rigid plate foreach blade at the forward side thereof for limiting flexing in theforward direction; and a rigid plate member at the back side of eachblade, said plate member including a portion substantially parallel withthe rst mentioned plate to back up the blade and also including aportion curved oppositely of the direction of rotation of the rotor inspaced relation to the cylindrical wall of the chamber, said curvedportion providing support means for the back of the flexible blade whensaid blade is folded back by the arcuate member as the rotor is rotated.

10. In a rotor for a ilow meter: a shaft; a plurality of generallyradially extending flexible blades spaced apart annularly with respectto the shaft; and rigid supporting members at each side of each flexibleblade and supporting a substantial inner portion of the blade, asubstantial portion of each blade being free to dex, the supportingmember at the rear of each b-lade having a rearwardly turned part ofsufficient length to back up the free end of the blade when the latteris folded over said back turned portion.

11. In a ow meter: a body having a generally cylindrical chamber with aninlet, and an outlet spaced annularly therefrom; an arcuate memberdisposed in the chamber between the inlet and outlet and at one side ofsaid chamber; a shaft arranged substantially axially of said chamber; aplurality of flexible, generally radially extending blades spaced apartannularly with respect to the chamber and having their free outer endsengageable with the cylindrical wall of said chamber; and rigidsupporting members at each side of each flexible blade and supporting asubstantial inner portion thereof, a substantial outer end portion ofeach blade being free to flex, the supporting members at the rear ofsaid blades having rearwardly turned parts of suiicient length to backup the free end portions of the l0 blades when the latter are turnedover said rearwardly-turned portions.

12. In a flow meter: a body having a generally cylindrical chamber withan inlet, and an outlet spaced annularly therefrom; an arcuate memberdisposed in the chamber between the inlet and outlet and at one side ofsaid chamber; a shaft arranged substantially axially of said chamber; aplurality of exible, generally radially extending blades spaced apartannularly with respect to the chamber and having their free outer endsengageable with the cylindrical wall of said chamber; and rigidsupporting members at each side of each flexible blade and supporting asubstantial inner portion thereof, a substantial outer end portion ofeach blade being free to ilex, the supporting members at the rear or"said blades having rearwardly turned parts of sufcient length to back upthe free end portions of the blades when the latter are turned over saidrearwardly-turned portions, said blades being capable of holding a,predetermined inlet pressure on their back side, a pressure above saidpredetermined pressure causing the free end portions of said blades toyield and be forced forwardly so as to allow flow past said blades.

ELMER, D. ISMYSER.

References Cited in the le 0f this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS NumberName Date 20,842 Darker July 6, 1858 268,522 Mller Dec. 5, 1882 941,582Mill Nov. 30, 1909 1,053,321 Schrock Feb. 18, 1913 1,639,043 Malouf Aug.16, 1927 1,953,029 Smith Mar. 2'7, 1934 2,393,204 Taylor Jan. 15, 1946FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 353,370 France June 27, 1905

